Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-01
Villas REPORT.
Annual Report Of She Posimas!er-Ge Gen.
ersi OF The Uaitsd States fer the
Fiscal Year Ending June 80, so.
U prscsdentsd Growth OF tbs Department.
IN All its Many Brsnohes-Immense Re
ductioG of the Annual Deficit.

ing the past year. In part arising from
an extension of the limits of mailsble
matter of the fourth class-ordered to
meet the requirements OF trade-and
from the receipts OF the special delivery
service, but chiefly from the greater en-
ployment of all postal facilities conse-
quent upon the rising business prosper
lty of the country, faithfully reflected in
the postal service, the revenues hsve
gained upon the preceding year by nearly
| 81, $40, 900, attaining a height never
req caed before, despite the restrictive
/ operations OF various reductions in the
rates of postage. Uoon the other hand,
the study Of economy has not been with
out effect in restraining the necessarily
rising scale Of expenditure, so that the
increase of cssh disbursements has but
little overstepped S2,0U0,0 900.
Thus the deficiency charged upon the
general treasury, which two years since
was round seven millions and year
ago but about seventy thousand less, has
been reduced almost three-sevenths. It
may be fairly affirmed that from the be-
ginning Of the current f1sCsl year the pos
tai service has again become substantially
self Sustaining; snd the prediction be
veutured that II the revenues be not fur
ther crippled, and only similar ratio of
increasing expenditure be held, the next
fiscal year will yield d surplus, which
SHOULD, under the same conditions, an
nually increase.
TIE time is probably not distant when
| the rate OF charge upon letters can be
properly lowered 10 one cent an ounce,
and some dfminlshment permitted in the
hostages upon merchandise and other
matter. But the letter postage of the
| United States is now fixed at rate below
that Of Sll other countries save one, and,
Wlen the distances of transportation are
considered, is che per than in any other.
And the combined receipts from all mail
matter not OF the first class fall far short
Of the cost of its handling; afording lit
tie claim, therefore, for less postage
charges.
The paramount duty Of the govern
ment, SO far as concerns this department,
is TO furnish the most perfect and useful
| postal facilities to the people, within the
authority OF the constitution, which the
skill CT man can provide.
THE POsTOFFICEs.
The supervision end care of postoffices,
embracing their ests Dlishment and dis
continuance, the appointment and quail
| fCation OF pOstmasLers, the adjustment
of the salaries of such as belong to the
salaried classes, allowances and supplies
for maintenance OF the service in them,
and the government of the carrier system
a. such aa mske free delivery of mail, are
conducted through the Office OF the First
| Assistant Postmaster General.
The number Of sslsrled Off ;es at the
beginning of the Gyesr wa, of the fist
class, 70; OF the second. 400; and of the
! third, 1863; a total of 2244 of the Presi-
| dental classes. By the annual review
and resdiustment, based upon the returns
of their business for the tour quarters
ended with March 81, 1887, if was dis
closed that on the LIST day of July the net
gains of the several classes were in the
| first, So in the second, and so in the third;
making respective totals OF 80 in the first,
435 in the second, and 1919 in she third
| II all, 1886, net increase Of go. This
showing indicates less than the real facts,
because there were other Offices entitled
to advancement from the fourth TO the
| third class, which,sby delays in the neces
sary reports, were postponed until the
next quarter. And on the 1st Of October
| there were added to the third class Is
offices by assignment pursuant to law;
tnus making the total number of third
class, at the time of this report, 1864, and
Of all Presidential fices. 1881; the high
est yet reached in the history of the De-
partment
By this annual adjustment many salar-
les were raised within the several classes,
and compensation of the Presidential
p3stmssters as then eXis'ing was fixed
f,Nr hn
crease of Sl94, 800, or 5 per cent.
upoa the adjustment of last year.
The net increase in the number of post
Offices was distributed in different por-
tions Of the country as follows: To the
New England states, 40; TO the FIVE mid
de states and the District Of Columbia,
POP; to the fourteen southern states and
he indian Territory, 1855; to the three
Pacific slope states and territories, rs;
and 80 the states and territories Of the
west and northwest, $780, The largest in
crease in any state fell to Pennsylvania,
amounting to 1l8, and in Nevada alone
there was decrease, s in number, but Z
having been established while 15 were
discontinued.
The total number of postoffices of al
classes on the Isl day of July, 1887, stood
at 81, l57, besides which there were also
6l3 branch Offices or stations. OF the
orauch offices, all auxiliary to the post
offices in the larger cities, 458 ere sta
lions for the sale of stamps and stamped
paper only, msintained at small cost; Al
others sre also registration Offices; So
more are both registry aud money order
stations beside; and 70 more are carrie
stations in addition, except that six of
them do no money order business. The
carrier sta ions are generally post
offices in all but name, having q superin-
tendent, rented apartments, and suitable
allowances.
Among all the postoffices, 7745 were on
the 1st day Of July money order offices,in
addition to l0S money order stations; and
1877 Offices beside were authorized to
issue postal notes.
To bring the general figures up to g
more recent date, the whole number of
postoffices On the first dsv of October had
become 55 434, Of which 1881 were salaried
or Presidential offices, distributed in
classes as before mentioned, and SO, 053
were fourth class. Besides these were
625 branch Off es or stations, N increase
OF twelve for the sale of stamps only. OF
the whole, 8089 were money order offices
s0d l. 10 MONEY order sEatinnG